AFRICA: The Nigerian military said it rescued 160 more hostages from Boko Haram’s Sambisa Forest stronghold.

AMERICAS: Thousands of people demonstrated in major cities along the US East Coast demanding an end to what they say is police brutality.

ASIA: The Russian government said that North Korea’s Kim Jong-Un cancelled his planned visit to Moscow to attend Russia’s World War II anniversary celebrations on 09MAY due to “internal North Korean issues.”

EUROPE: The commissioner in charge of EU enlargement said Turkey’s backlash against European countries that call Ottoman Turks’ 1915 massacre of Armenians genocide will complicate Ankara’s ambitions to join the EU.

TECHNOLOGY: US Legislators introduced a bill to Congress that would prohibit operators of websites, apps and other online services for kindergartners through 12th graders from knowingly selling students’ personal information to third parties.

TOP STORY

Nepal: Relief efforts continue amid distribution difficulties.

Relief aid group Oxfam reported that congestion at Kathmandu airport, blocked roads, fuel shortages, and difficult terrain are slowing down the pace of aid delivery.

The UN said that the earthquake has displaced about 2.8 million Nepalese, with over 70,000 homes believed to be destroyed and another 530,000 damaged.

The UN launched a USD415 million appeal for survivors as coordinators warned that it might take a five-day trek to deliver relief supplies to some of the worst-hit rural areas.

Official estimates put the death toll at 5,500 with more than 10,000 injured.

Hundreds of people in Kathmandu lined up to board free buses to return to rural hometowns amid fears over continued aftershocks.

Burundi: Authorities closed university accommodation facilities and forced thousands of students to leave the campus in an operation the opposition said was designed to halt a wave of protests. (AFP)

Libya: The internationally recognized government said five detainees admitted to killing five reporters from a local television station as well as two Tunisian journalists, in murders previously claimed by ISIS. (AFP)

Nigeria: The military said it rescued 160 more hostages from Boko Haram’s Sambisa Forest stronghold. (AFP)

AMERICAS

Brazil: Riot police fired smoke bombs and rubber bullets at striking teachers protesting a new law that will withhold more money from their salaries towards retirement, leaving a total of 213 people injured. (AFP)

United States: Thousands of people demonstrated in major cities along the US East Coast demanding an end to what they say is police brutality. (AFP)

Venezuela: The government said its foreign exchange reserves have fallen 14 percent since the beginning of the year, to USD18.99 billion, the lowest level in almost 12 years. (AFP)

ASIA

Afghanistan: Officials reported that a car bombing hit a security checkpoint in the Daman district of Kandahar, causing an unknown number of causalities. (Xinhua)

Australia: FM Bishop called for a regional approach to tackle drug trafficking, saying the death penalty would not halt the illegal trade. (AFP)

Japan: Defense Minister Gen Nakatani said he will soon meet with Okinawa Governor Takeshi Onaga over the government’s planned US base transfer within Okinawa prefecture. (Kyodo)

Korea, North: The Russian government said that Kim Jong-Un cancelled his planned visit to Moscow to attend Russia’s World War II anniversary celebrations on 09MAY due to “internal North Korean issues.” (AFP)

Vietnam: PM Nguyen Tan Dung hit out at the “barbarous crimes” of the US as the nation marked four decades since the fall of Saigon. (AFP)

EUROPE

Greece: Credit rating agency Moody’s downgraded the country’s sovereign debt to from Caa1 to Caa2, maintaining its negative outlook due to uncertainty about the country’s ability to meet its future payments. (EFE)

Turkey: The commissioner in charge of EU enlargement said the country’s backlash against European countries that call Ottoman Turks’ 1915 massacre of Armenians genocide will complicate Ankara’s ambitions to join the EU. (Reuters)

Turkey: Some 40 US soldiers have arrived in the country to start training Syrian rebels to fight ISIS militants in Syria. (Xinhua)

Iraq: PM Abadi offered an amnesty covering security forces members who fled ISIS, provided they return to their units within 30 days. (AFP)

Israel: The government returned 15 fishing boats it seized in recent years off the Gaza Strip. (Reuters)

Yemen: A Saudi-led coalition pressed on with air strikes against Shiite rebels in the south of the country. (AFP)

TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATIONS

Technology: US Legislators introduced a bill to Congress that would prohibit operators of websites, apps and other online services for kindergartners through 12th graders from knowingly selling students’ personal information to third parties. (NYT)